Snow excavator



y N. L. JAMES I 2,200,623

SNOW EXCAVATOR Filed Sept. 22, 1938 I nvenior.

Iva/ma L James 5 1 5 1 7 :2 n 21 fi m Patented May 14, 1940 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in snow excavating devicesparticularly adapted for use in removing snow from highways or railways,and the principal objects of the invention are to provide a device ofsimple. strong and durable construction which will cut into the snowwith an endwise slicing action and will carry the snow continuously asit is cut away to a central pointfrom which it is directly ejected bythe cutting member to clear the machine and the path cut away,

A further and important object is to devise a machine which will be veryeconomical in the use of power and which will be capable of handling dryor wet snow without clogging.

The principalfeature 0f the invention consists in the novel constructionand arrangement of a horizontal revolving member having multiple rightand left helical blades adapted to directly engage and cut into thesnow, co-operating with a part cylindrical casing to convey the snow, asit is cut away, directly to radial sections of said blades formed at theinner terminal ends thereof,

to be ejected through a chute opening from said casing.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved excavator arranged on thefront end of a suitable power tractor.

of suitable tractor vehicle 5, vertical adjustment being here shown aseffected by means of ver-' The means of tically mounted jack screws 6.support and adjustment here shown is merely diagrammatic and may bereadily substituted by any desirable construction.

A shaft 1 is journalled in suitable hearings in the end plates 2 and isdriven from any suitable source of power by means of suitable shafts andgearing, preferably at variable speeds. The source of power and thedetails of the drive connections to the shaft may be varied within thescope of ordinary engineering practice.

Mounted upon the shaft 1, concentric therewith and extending between theend plates 2, is a cylinder 8 upon the periphery of which are mountedthe helical vanes 9, III, II and I2 which are respectively left andright helixes. The multiple arrangement of helical vanes is desired toenable the use of a long pitch and two or more vanes may be used at eachend of the cylinder.

The inward ends of each of the helical vanes 5 terminate in radialblades 13 which are preferably reinforced by angle brackets l4.

, The casing I is provided at its central portion with a shield l5 ofpart cylindrical form which is substantially the width of the radialblades i3 and an opening it is provided in the upper portion of thecasing I at its rearward side and in line with the shield I5. A chute llextends upwardly from the casing i and encloses the opening it and formsthe delivery chute through which the snow is ejected by the rapidlyrotating blades it. The chute is preferably set at an angle to directthe ejected snow toward one end of the rotating cutter and a spoon-likeguard i8 is hinged at the upper end of the chute and provided with aquadrant lever it or other form of adjustment by means of which theangle may be varied to direct the stream of snow ejected through thechute.

A guard 20 having a vertical forward cutting edge 2| is rigidlyconnected with the casing l in front of the shield iii to divide thesnow in front of the centre of. the rotating cutter member.

The bottom edge of the casing l and the bottom of the guard 20 ispreferably provided with a cutter shoe 22 which may present either astraight or a toothed horizontal cutting edge adaped to cut into packedsnow or ice to dislodge same as the excavator is pushed forward by thetractor.

In the operation of this device, the helical bladed cutter is operatedat whatever speed is found suitable for the condition of the snowencountered, and itwill be understood that as the helical blades extendforward of the bottom edge of the casing I, the helical blades cut intothe snow as the device is pushed forward and the blades slice the snowwith a slanting spiral cutting movement, and as the snow is cut, itfills in between the spiral blades and is carried longitudinally betweensaid blades and the inner is projected in a constant stream through thechute with sumcient velocity to clear the swath cut by the cuttermember.

Numerous devices have proposed the use of spiral conveyers to carry thesnow to a central point where it is fed into an axial opening of acentrifugal fan, but such devices have not been found successful.

The present invention differs materially from these previous proposalsin that the spiral conveyer is in direct cutting contact with the snowand a single operating unit cuts into the snow and conveys it from thecutting area and directly discharges it, thereby operating with highefficiency and an effective saving in power.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A snow excavator comprising a part cylindrical casing having adischarge orifice, and a single revolving member arranged in said casinghaving in combination left-hand and righthand helical bladesprojecting'from the casing to engage and cut the snow and to carry sametoward a central vertical plane, and impeller blades extending from theadjacent ends of said left and right-hand helical blades to overlap insaid central plane and eject the snow through said discharge orifice.

- 2. A snow excavatorcomprising a part cylindrical casing having adischarge orifice, arranged centrally thereof, and a single revolvingmember arranged in said casing having multiple right and left helicalblades projecting from the casing to engage and cut the snow and tocarry same inwardly toward a central vertical plane, the adjacent endsof said multiple left and right helical blades being turned in oppositeaxial directions to internest in overlapping peripherally spacedrelation in said central plane to elect the snow from both of said leftand right helical blades through said discharge orifice.

3. A snow excavator comprising a part cylindrical casing having an openforward side and a discharge opening in the top, a shaft Journalledaxially in the ends of said casing, a cylinder mounted on said shaft androtating therewith, a plurality of spiral blades mounted on saidcylinder and extending from the ends inwardly to near the centre, radialblades mounted centrally of said cylinder and each forming acontinuation of one of said spiral vanes, a shield encircling theextremities of said radial blades, and a chute extending upwardly fromsaid discharge opening in the top of said casing.

4. A snow excavator comprising a part cy1indrical casing having an openforward side and a discharge opening in the top, a shaft journalledaxially in the ends of said casing, a cylinder mounted on said shaft androtating therewith, a pair of right hand spiral blades mounted on oneend of said cylinder and extending inwardly to points near the centrethereof, radial blades forming continuations of the inner ends of eachof said spiral blades, 9. pair of left hand spiral blades mounted on theother end of said cylinder and extending inwardly to points near thecentre thereof, radial blades forming continuations of the inner ends ofeach of said left hand spiral blades and spaced equidistant be- 7 tweenthe aforesaid radial blades, a shield encircling the centrally arrangedspiral blades in circumferential alignment with said discharge opening,and a chute extending upwardly from said opening.

NORMAN L. JAMES.

